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Saints' Buchanan going to Japan next season

November 7, 2006 - American Association (AA)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - When Brian Buchanan came to St. Paul last summer, he was hoping it would lead to bigger and better things. Little did he know how far he might have to go to reach that goal.

The Saints announced today Buchanan has agreed to terms to play for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in the Japanese Pacific League for the 2007 season. He is the 83rd player to move from St. Paul to a major league organization and the first to go to Japan.

"This is such a great opportunity for Brian. I'm so happy for him. I really enjoyed having him in St. Paul," said Saints manager George Tsamis. "He did a great job for us. He plays hard and he's great in the clubhouse."

Terms of the deal weren't available. The minimum salary of a player in Japan's major league is $300,000 per season.

The 33-year old Buchanan played first base and right field after joining the Saints June 23. Despite playing just 48 games, he led the club in home runs with 11 and ranked third in RBI with 48. He batted .292 with an excellent .502 Slugging Average. A former number one pick of the New York Yankees, Buchanan has played 346 games in the major leagues with the Twins, San Diego and the Mets as part of a 13-year pro career.

His new manager is one of the greatest players in that country's history - Sadaharu Oh, who hit 868 home runs and batted .301 in a 22-year career in Japan. The Hawks have a recent history of producing players who end up in the major leagues here. Buchanan's former team - the Minnesota Twins - signed Tony Batista last winter after a solid season for the Hawks. After playing seven seasons in Fukuoka, C Kenji Johjima hit .291 with 18 home runs in his first season with Seattle in 2006. White Sox 2B Tadahito Iguchi is also a Softbank alum.

Buchanan's deal came in part because of the Saints' trip to Japan last month. After Softbank officials met with Sharrer and team VP for Business Development Tom Whaley, they dispatched a representative to watch Buchanan play. "We're hoping this is the first of many transactions we will have with Softbank and other Japanese teams," Sharrer said.

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